Councils and universities in Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen are collaborating to deliver Advanced Highers at special hubs.
Universities say the partnerships also demonstrate a commitment to widening access to pupils in disadvantaged communities.
For example, Glasgow Caledonian University welcomes hundreds of pupils from around the city to study every week, with priority given to under-represented groups whose schools might be limited in the subjects they can offer.
At Aberdeen University, pupils studying Advanced Higher sciences attend events where they get to use laboratory equipment with the help of academic staff and student demonstrators. Glasgow University offers similar provision too.
Dundee University enables up to 120 pupils a year to study Advanced Highers. It also offers programmes in art, architecture and design. And the Open University lets S6 pupils study first-year university modules.
A spokesman for Universities Scotland said: “Universities are increasingly involved in the provision of opportunities at Advanced Higher, as these projects show.
“This has been very positive with strong outcomes for pupils, including enhanced subject choice and experience of higher education. The motivation for universities is a desire for equality of opportunity for young people and better preparation of school pupils for university.”
Dr Neil Croll, Glasgow University’s head of widening participation, said further partnerships were likely at both Advanced Higher and Higher: “This has grown out of one staff member suggesting it to a couple of schools, but it has now established itself as the norm for schools that don’t have the appropriate facilities in terms of science labs.”
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, said the schemes made sense at a time of tight budgets.
“Unfortunately, the availability of Advanced Higher courses in schools is often an issue of demand and limited resources. In this context, partnership working between councils and universities can be a practical solution.”
However, Mary Senior, Scotland official for the UCU lecturers’ union, backed his view that secondary schools must continue to offer a full range of Higher courses whenever possible.
She said: “These developments enable universities to ensure young people from deprived communities see higher education as a valid choice. However, we need to acknowledge the wider public sector funding context too, with all parts of the education sector under strain.”